Of all the destinations we go to with Tour Club members, perhaps the region most shrouded in mystery is the South Island’s West Coast. The region remains a steadfastly remote part of New Zealand. To even begin to get a feel for the place it takes a few days to get around what is the country’s largest region. From the highest mountains and stunning coastal scenery to dense rainforests and everything in between. Steeped in myth and legend from ancient Maori pounamu (greenstone) trails and Moa hunts to pioneering settlers and tough miner tales, ‘the Coast’ is a world apart. Where every passing car waves to you and the hospitality is warm and ‘old school’.
From Westport in the north to Haast in the south, we’ll meander through this fascinating region where the natural environment still dominates every residents’ life in some way. Here’s a summary of the itinerary;
Day 1: We fly to Wellington and then on to Nelson, where our coach will meet us and we begin our adventure. After lunch in Murchison, and a look at the famous Buller Swing Bridge, we carry on to the historic mining town of Reefton which is experiencing a renewal in recent times. We’ll have billy tea with the Bearded Miners and sample the local moonshine before we settle into our accommodation at Dawson’s Hotel.
Day 2: We make our way this morning to Westport to meet our guide for the day, Mickey, who will take us for a tour of the Stockton Coal Mine, New Zealand’s largest single coal producer.
We’ll drive through several small towns on our way up onto the Stockton Plateau where we’ll first have lunch in the ‘Smoko Room’ before we get a real sense of the workings of this open-cast mining operation, as well as visiting the aerial ropeway which takes the coal down to the railhead at Nakawau. As we start our journey south we’ll stop at Punakaiki to see the world-famous Pancake Rocks before arriving at the Scenic Hotel Punakaiki, our accommodation tonight.
Day 3: We stick with the mining theme this morning, as we continue our journey south, stopping firstly to look around the Brunner Mine Historic Area – site of New Zealand’s worst mining disaster in 1896. Then it’s on to the town of Blackball with its famous (not)Hilton Hotel and Blackball Salami Co. Down the road we can still see the remains of the old mine entrance and chimneys. A gentle walk along Greymouth’s riverside reveals more memories of the regions mining past before we enjoy lunch at the Theatre Royal Hotel in Kumara. This afternoon we wander the spectacular Hokitika Gorge, with its turquoise water, before we check into the lovely Beachfront Hotel in Hokitika.
Day 4: Our southerly direction continues today and our first stop is a short boat cruise across the beautiful Lake Mahinapua south of Hokitika, followed by lunch at the famous West Coast Treetop Walkway, a steel causeway that allows you to walk amongst the canopies of ancient temperate rainforest giants such as Rimu and Tamahi. And all 20 metres above the forest floor. Then we continue south through Ross and Hari Hari to Franz Josef where we’ll take a short helicopter flight up to the Franz Josef Glacier and step onto this amazing force of nature. What a way to finish an enriching day experiencing the West Coast environment.
Day 5: After a night at Franz Josef, we continue south to picturesque Lake Matheson, the most photographed lake in New Zealand. And with unparalleled views, across the mirror-like surface of the lake itself, of Fox Glacier, Mt Tasman and Aoraki/Mt Cook, you can see why. After a cuppa we head into the UNESCO World Heritage Area that is Haast. At this point we leave the main highway, stay with the coast road and arrive at magnificent Jackson Bay, on the edge of Mt Aspiring National Park, for a glorious waterfront lunch at The Cray Pot. After lunch and a look around, we return to the highway and head through the Haast Pass towards Lakes Wanaka and Hawea. Tonight, we stay on the shores of Lake Dunstan.
Day 6: Today we first head up the eastern side of Lake Dunstan to Tarras at the foot of the Lindis Pass for a cuppa before crossing Hawea Flat to high country Glen Dene Station. Bound by Lake Hawea in the east and Lake Wanaka in the west, Glen Dene is 15,000 acres with extensive panoramas back towards the Southern Alps. Our hosts, Sarah and Richard Burdon, will tell us about their property and give us lunch. We can also enjoy their extensive garden. Later we enjoy a scenic drive along the shores of Lake Wanaka to Glendhu Bay before stopping at Warbirds & Wheels, an aviation and classic car museum next to Wanaka airport. Another fabulous day of vistas and destinations.
Day 7: Today we say farewell to the South and take the easy way home by flying from Queenstown back home to Hawke’s Bay.
On this tour we’ll spend a week immersed in the very heart of some of the more isolated parts of the South Island getting to know the Westland, Grey, Haast and Hawea districts. An intoxicating mix of natural wonder, heartbreaking history and southern hospitality punctuated by some of the most breath-taking scenery New Zealand can offer. And that’s saying something!
Join us and enjoy all the pampering and attention to detail you’ve come to expect from Bay Tours on this ‘Bucket-List’ tour.
